


Rest your head close to my heart, never to part (baby of mine)

by 14million_constellations



Series: Baby Mine [1]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: AU, Aunt Pepper Potts, Baby Peter, Big Moments, Biological Family, Birth (not graphic), But Mary is his mother, Crying, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Feels, Fluff, I am in NO means a medical expert, Irondad, JARVIS - Freeform, Newborn Babies, Panic Attacks, Parent Tony Stark, Pre-Iron Man 1, Pregnancy, Premature Babies, Protective Tony Stark, Richard Parker isn't Peter's father, Tags need to be added, This is like the cutest thing i've ever written, Time Jump, Tony is Peter's biological father, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Uncle Happy Hogan, Uncle Rhodey, people being aunts and uncles, single father tony stark, so the medical terminology is pretty brief, sorry in advance, spiderson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-01-31 14:13:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21447511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/14million_constellations/pseuds/14million_constellations
Summary: Tony Stark is the man who has everything, but nothing at the same time. He also didn't realize it was this easy to fall in love.Peter is his son through and through and Tony is now realizing that he will do anything for him.
Relationships: Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Baby Mine [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1546204
Comments: 35
Kudos: 579





	1. Chapter 1

Throughout Tony’s life, he had his equal share of shocking and not so shocking moments. 

When he was admitted into MIT at fifteen, that was shocking. When he met Rhodey, and then later met Mr and Mrs. Rhodes, and they had all happily taken him into their family. When he stayed up for ninety-two consecutive hours and lived to tell the tale. That time that Rhodey surprised him with Queen tickets and he caught Freddie Mercury’s shoe when it flew into the audience. When Pepper walked into his office for the first time. When his mother and Jarvis died. 

Those were always the moments that caught him off guard. Shocked him more than others. 

But those moments that weren't shocking… the ones he could have seen coming a mile away. When he finally did graduate from MIT and his father didn’t show up for the ceremony. When he got arrested for beating up a group of guys who were assaulting some girls at a bar. When he inherited the company and became one of the youngest billionaires alive. 

When he received news that his father had died… 

But right now, in this exact moment, Tony was more shocked than he ever had been before. Nothing could have prepared him for this. 

“You’re-- you’re sure?” 

The woman sitting across from him -- Mary -- nodded slowly. “Yes.” 

“One-hundred percent?” 

“One hundred.” 

His fingers find the hem of his shirt and start to roll the fabric between their grip. “You’re sure, you’re sure--” 

“Tony,” Pepper says, using her no-nonsense voice. “She’s sure.” 

Tony looks to Mary with pleading eyes. He needs her to say it’s not true. That this is a prank… he won’t be mad if this is a prank. He won’t be as mad as he is panicked right now. 

“It’s yours, Tony… one hundred and ten percent sure,” Mary says softly. 

“I just…” Tony says, burying his forehead in his hands. “I thought that this would be like the other times.” 

In the past, when he was ever approached by women who claimed that they were pregnant with his child, it was either a farce, or the DNA tests all came back negative. With Tony’s sorta self destructive lifestyle, it stopped becoming a surprise when he was contacted with these accusations. Most of the time they just get handed over to Pepper to deal with. 

But this one… Mary was different. She was firm and demanded to talk to Tony himself. Pepper denied at first, but Tony was actually intrigued by her perseverance, so he agreed to meet. 

As soon as he saw her, memories of that night flooded his mind. The holiday party in New York -- of course Tony had to go ahead and sleep with a member of his staff -- and he had rolled in already half drunk. Mary must have been just as wasted as he was, because she seemed to be the only person who actually wanted to stick around and talk. 

But he remembered thinking that she was beautiful, with her curly brown hair, and large, doey eyes. She was smart, and kind, and made him laugh. He also woke up to her the next morning and realized he forgot most of the day before. 

“Mary,” Pepper says, trying to cover for Tony, “we understand the obvious concern in your situation, but we would just like to ask what you want us to do about it?” 

The way Pepper phrases that sentence makes Tony want to roll his eyes. She sounds like a robot. 

“What?” Mary asks. 

“What do you need?” Pepper asks again. “Compensation? Money for medical bills?” 

Mary shakes her head. “No, no, the bills are covered. But… look, what I’m gonna ask is a lot bigger than compensation.” 

Tony raises his head, his eyes brows furrowing. “Huh?” 

“I, um… Tony… I’m asking if you will raise the child.” 

Tony’s mouth fell open while Pepper’s clamped shut. 

“Excuse me?” Tony asked, wondering if he heard correct. 

“I meant what I said. I’m wondering if you will raise the child. My-- my fiance and I were on a break during the time of the holiday party. We’re back together now, but… we want to start a family of our own sometime, and he’s not really all that comfortable with having a child that’s mine but not his… it’s complicated. Also, right now, both of us are so busy with work that we don’t have time to give a baby the attention it deserves.

We just thought that with you, the child might be getting a better life than the one we could give. If you say no, I’ll have no choice but to put it into the system, and we all know how that doesn't always have the greatest outcome. I just assumed that with a biological parent, the baby would be getting the love it needs.” 

Tony just watches the woman as she speaks. There was passion in her words, but also fear. She believed in what she proposed, but he could tell she was afraid he was going to decline. 

He did have to admit that she made a good argument. 

“Mary,” Pepper starts, but Tony places a hand on her knee to quickly silence her. 

“I’ll think about it,” he says. 

The beaming smile Mary gives in return is all the thanks he needs. 

\---

Tony spends the next few days avoiding Pepper as much as he could, but also working himself into a stupor. 

“Sir, I advise that you sleep,” JARVIS says as Tony continues to tinker with his latest project. 

“Can’t Jar, Obie’s really riding my ass.” 

JARVIS is quiet for a minute before saying, “Are you sure that’s why you have been working so much, sir?” 

Tony is hardly paying attention when he asks, “What do you mean?” 

“Maybe the reason you have been working so hard is because you are trying to avoid giving an answer to the obvious question.” 

Tony looks up from his desk and squints at the ceiling. “Stop trying to act like you know everything.” 

“But I do know everything, sir. You programed me that way.” 

“Right, curse me for being a genius.” 

“Sir.” 

“JARVIS.” 

The AI is silent for another moment, before saying, “We both know you have an answer. Why don’t you just call that woman and end the suffering on both your part’s.” 

Tony didn’t know how an AI managed to sound condescending, but he sighed and nodded his head slowly. Of course JARVIS was right. JARVIS was right about everything. 

\---

_ “Hello?” _

“I’ll do it,” Tony says quickly. 

_ “Tony?” _

“Yes. You know it’s me.” 

_ “I just… wait, you said you’ll do it?” _

“Yes,” Tony nods despite her not being able to see him. “I will. I’ll take the baby.” 

_ “Thank you,” _ relief flooding Mary’s words. _ “So, so much.” _

“So… what is it? Boy, girl?” 

Mary chuckles, _ “Too early to tell. I’ll let you know as soon as I find out, though.” _

“Okay. Thanks.” 

Mary’s voice is suddenly muffled as she shouts, _ “Richard, he said yes!” _

Tony couldn’t hear Richard’s response, but he could hear the smile in Mary’s words when she spoke. 

_ “Seriously, thank you so much, Tony. We are so happy that you are willing to do this.” _

“Yeah, of course. I… I need this. I don’t think I would be able to live if I knew my kid was in a bad situation because of me. I want to be there for them.” 

_ “Of course.” _

When he hung up the phone, he turned to find Pepper staring at him, worry dancing in her eyes. “She took it well?” 

“You knew she would.” 

“How are you?” 

“I’m… okay.” 

“Really?” 

Tony sighs and runs a hand down his face. “I’m as okay as I can be. I just… I can’t be a Howard, Pep. I can’t be that for my kid.” 

Pepper steps forward and places a hand on his forearm. “You’re not gonna be, alright? You won’t be. It’s in your DNA. And yes, Howard is part of that, but you’re not him. You’re Tony.” Her thumb rubs over his skin in a way that reminds him of his mother comforting him as a child. “You’re going to be incapable of showing that child anything other than so much love, they won’t know what to do with it all.” 

Pepper smiles, and then turns, making her exit. 

“She’s right, sir,” JARVIS suddenly pipes in. 

Tony sighs, “of course she is.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony meets his son

Two weeks into August, Tony is woken up by his cell phone ringing itself off his nightstand. 

“Yeah?” He asked, his voice low. 

“Get up,” Pepper’s voice was commanding. 

“It’s like three.” 

“So I’m surprised that you’re actually sleeping.” There was a long beat of silence. “Mary’s in labor.” 

“What?” Now Tony was definitely awake. “The kid’s not supposed to come for another few weeks.” 

“Guess he’s never heard of a calendar.” 

“This is no time for sarcasm, Pep,” Tony says, jumping out of bed and running into his closet. 

“That’s rich coming from you.” 

“I’m serious.” Tony grabs the bag he had packed from the top shelf. Pepper had made him prepare something for this exact scenario; Tony just thought he would be using this in September. When he was actually in New York, and he didn’t feel like he was running around like a chicken with its head cut off. 

“Alright,” Pepper says. Tony wonders how she sounds so calm. “Your plane is ready for you when you are. I hope you're changing right now and not standing in the middle of your closet, panicking.” 

“Of course not,” Tony says, despite her describing the exact thing he _ was _ doing. His voice was tight. “I gotta go. Meet you there.” 

Tony throws off his pajamas and pulls out the first thing he finds. A pair of jeans and a worn tee-shirt emblazoned with the _ SNL _ logo. He could change once he got to New York; the closet in his apartment was stocked, after all. 

He didn’t waste time calling in Happy. The bodyguard would just meet him at the jet; Tony could drive himself. 

“I told you to get dressed,” Pepper says disapprovingly when Tony steps out of his car. A flight attendant starts pulling his bag from the trunk. “But apparently what I say goes in one ear and out the other.” 

“What are you talking about?” Tony says, looking down at his clothes. “I did get dressed.” 

“And that’s what you want to be wearing the first time you meet your son?” 

“Might as well let the little guy know what he’s getting into,” Tony retorts with a smile. “For instance, the fact that his father is a fan of quality late-night sketch comedy tv.” 

Happy walks by and catches sight of Tony’s outfit. He snorts to himself and says, “I’ll have someone get you something new in New York.” 

“Speaking of,” Pepper taps her watch impatiently. “The plane should have left ten minutes ago, and every second we're not in the city is a possibility you could be missing the birth. Come on.” 

They all board the plane in anxious silence, and Tony spends the ride drumming his fingers on his knee and thinking about ways he could be making the engines run faster. He didn’t miss the occasional glances Pepper gave him when she wasn’t tapping away on her tablet, but Tony tried his best to ignore them. 

Instead, he kept his eyes trained on the valley of cloud around them. There were 2,477 miles between Malibu and New York, and they couldn’t have crept by any faster. 

Pepper was ushering Tony off the aircraft as soon as it had touched down. From there, they moved into a town car, and then they were zipping into the city. Pepper seemed to be texting someone the whole ride, and Tony hoped it was Richard telling them that they hadn’t missed it. 

Tony didn’t know if he’d be able to forgive himself if he was late for this. 

“Alright,” Pepper starts, “We have someone already at your penthouse and picking up a suit. Something presentable, but also one of your lesser-priced suits, so it wouldn’t be a disaster if you get baby barf on it.” 

“Babies don’t care about presentation,” Tony says dryly, his head turned towards the window. 

“Are you alright?” Pepper asks, “You know, besides the obvious things you should be concerned about.” 

Tony doesn't respond, the building panic feeling as though it has its grip around his throat, and won’t allow any words to escape. Like it is moments away from strangling the life out of him. 

“I’ve been in contact with Richard,” Pepper says softly, yet assertively, “We still have a while to go. The baby’s early, but taking his time. Tony--” 

Suddenly, a loud honking from the car behind them has Pepper cutting her sentences short and Happy glares into the rearview mirror. 

“God, can’t we go any faster!” Tony exclaims angrily, leaning forward to watch the car's inch by out of the front window. 

“Tony,” Pepper says, her voice coated with warning. “Please--”

“Pep,” Tony cuts her off, practically pleading with the woman for her attention. “My son is premature. I-- I did all my reading, and… premature babies can be born with so many difficulties, and--” 

Tony stops to take a few deep breaths as he can feel panic tighten its grip on his throat. _ No, not an attack. Not now. Please. _

“Tony,” Pepper leans forward and places a hand on his knee. His eyes find hers, and he takes the tiniest amount of comfort in her calm gaze. “You need to listen to me; the baby is fine. Richard just told me. He has been healthy the whole way through, and he seems to be healthy now, despite the early entrance. The doctors are optimistic about a safe delivery.” 

Tony continued taking shaky inhales through his nose. 

_ “Tony,” _ the way she says it this time causes his heart rate to slow. Her thumb runs circles over his knee. “Everything is gonna be okay.” 

Tony nods, and panic loosens its grip. 

\----

Tony marches into the hospital, Pepper and Happy close behind, other patrons parting for him like Moses and the Red Sea. Over half of them don’t divert their attention, their eyes wide as they are clearly in shock that Tony Stark just stormed through the front doors. The other thirty percent are either too distracted to care, or they simply don’t know who he is. 

“Mary Fitzpatrick,” Tony spits out, hands gripping the counter of the reception desk tightly. “Or maybe Mary Parker, I don’t know-- has she married Richard yet? I don’t--” 

“Mary Fitzpatrick,” Pepper confirmed and the frazzled looking nurse behind the counter nodded. 

“I assume you’re family,” she says. The nametag clipped onto pale pink scrubs reads, Allison. 

“Yes,” Pepper says as they start to follow Allison down a busy hallway. “He’s the father. I’m a friend.” 

Tony wondered if Allison knew who he was. If she did, she was doing a stand-up job at acting like she didn’t. They turned left into a second hallway, this one narrower than the first, and considerably less crowded. 

“Room 227,” Allison says. “Call the front desk if you need anything. I’ll be there all day.” 

“Thank you,” Tony says, muttering his first words to the woman after a stretch of silence 

Allison smiles. “Of course, Mr. Stark.” 

Inside the room, Mary lays on the hospital bed, and Richard stands at her side. Mary’s hair is damp and curls stick to her forehead. Tony notices the shimmery engagement ring on her left hand while she squeezes the life out of Richard with a white-knuckled grip. 

Richard holds the back of his fiance’s head and presses his lips to her temple, whispers escaping his lips that Tony couldn’t make out. If she was hurting him, he wasn’t letting anyone know. 

The contraction that Mary must have been battling finally lets up, and she falls back with a huff. Her eyes find Tony and Pepper standing by the door, and a wide smile blooms over her sweaty face. 

“Tony!” She exclaims, sounding out of breath. 

“Hope we aren't catching you at a bad time,” Tony says a little sheepishly. 

“Of course not,” Mary says, sounding cheerful and exhausted at the same time. “Right as rain over here!” 

Richard scoffs with a little shake of his head. The grin that stretches over his lips makes Tony suppress a chuckle, but Mary ignores her fiance. 

“Really, Tony,” she says, “I’m doing good.” 

“She’s doing great,” Richard says and places a kiss on the top of Mary’s head. 

Suddenly, Pepper’s phone dings and she checks it so quickly Tony wonders if she even read the notification. “Sorry, we have someone waiting outside to drop something off, so if you’ll excuse me…” 

“Sure,” Mary says with a smile, “duty calls.” 

“I’ll be back soon,” Pepper says to Tony, and then she’s gone. 

Tony is left standing in silence. Mary watches him, the smile still in place. Richard observes the billionaire shuffle aimlessly, his grin faded slightly. He obviously still didn’t know what to make of the other man. 

“Nice shirt,” Richard finally says, breaking the silence. 

“Oh,” Tony looks down at his _ SNL _ tee. “Thanks. Um, limited edition.” 

“Of course.” 

The response was dry, and it dawned on Tony how absolutely unprepared he was for this. 

\----

As it turned out, Pepper never made it back. 

Tony received a message from her that said, _ “Talking to people who will set up the nursery both here and in California while we’re gone. Don’t know how long I’ll be.” _

Tony didn’t bother with a response, and his phone got tucked back into his pocket to be forgotten about. He hoped that her calls would be short and she would return soon, but that wish wasn’t granted, because not long after he received her text, Mary was delivering his son. 

“Come on, push for us, Mary,” the doctor said. 

Tony stood in the corner, his eyes on his feet, panic taking its hold on his once more. A faint ringing had filled his ears, and all other sounds slowly start to drown out. He thinks about how he’s too nervous to even stand next to the woman delivering his child. How he should be over there offering comfort, but his feet are cemented to the linoleum, and Richard already seems to be providing enough comfort to cover everyone in the room. 

He thinks about how Howard was to him as a child. How Howard wasn’t even there when Tony was born; how it was just him and his mother for the beginning. A time Tony doesn't remember, but wished he did, because that was the only time in his life he didn’t know his father. 

He is brought out of his thoughts when someone calls out his name breathlessly. _ “Tony.” _

Tony’s head whips up to see Mary and Richard staring at him expectantly. Richard looks stressed, but Mary has plastered on a smile. 

“Come here,” she says, and it was obvious by the way how tense everyone was that the baby would be arriving shortly. “Please.” 

Tony doesn't disobey, and his feet shuffle quickly towards the bed. Mary takes his hand with ferocious strength, and Tony holds back a wince. This was nothing compared to what she was doing. 

The doctor says something else, but it all goes over Tony’s head. He can tell when Mary pushes by how her grip increases and decreases in long intervals of time. Eventually, one sentence slips into Tony’s mind, and then he was giving his undivided attention. 

_ “One more and then he’s here.” _

Mary grunts, a new determination in her features, and pushed with all her might. Richard is cheering her on, and Tony watching the best he can without actually _ watching. _

Finally, _ finally, _ a faint crying fills the room, and Mary falls back into her pillows with a happy sigh. Her hand lets go of Tony’s, but he doesn't notice because his eyes are following the squirmy, teeny tiny infant that is being wrapped up in a blanket bigger than necessary. 

His son. _ Tony’s son. _

That’s his boy. 

When they try to hand him off to Mary, she stares at the child for a second before gesturing towards Tony. “All his,” she says, her voice hardly there. 

Tony’s heartbeat picks up so quickly he was afraid of an attack, but before he could prepare, the baby was being placed in his arms. A small gasp of surprise leaves the man’s lips, and he stares at the child. 

The baby was slightly purple, wrinkled beyond belief, and shifting in the blanket cocoon trying his best to get comfortable. There was a tiny bit of hair on his head; dark and messy because he had yet to be cleaned. 

He was also smaller than anything Tony had ever imagined. It felt like he was holding nothing, and he knew that the doctors would have to take the baby soon to get him into the NICU, so he cherished the moments he was getting now. 

“Hi,” Tony whispers so low he can hardly make it out himself. “Hi, baby.” 

The baby raises an itty-bitty hand and waves it slightly. Like it was his own new-born way of saying “hello” back. 

Tony could feel the tears bloom. He could feel them roll down his cheeks. He could feel his heart swell; like the Grinch at the end of that movie. 

Tony didn’t realize it was this easy to fall in love until this moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just saying, I am really proud of this chapter. Especially that ending bit.  
I think my own heart grew three sizes writing this.


	3. Chapter 3

Tony’s son was born on August 10th, 2001, at 9:57 am, and weighing 4.8 pounds. He was everything Tony could have hoped for and more. 

The doctors had to take the baby to the NICU sooner than Tony would have liked, and when the bundle was drawn from Tony’s arms, he actually had to hold back a whimper of protest. He had only gotten to hold him for eight minutes. 

Eight minutes and Tony had grown to love that child more than anything in his entire life. 

Now, Tony sat on one of the plush armchairs set up close to Mary’s bed. She had been moved to a recovery suite -- Tony’s influence got her the upgrade -- and was told she would be discharged from the hospital the next day. 

She looked exhausted, and Tony didn’t blame her one bit. Tony would be tired as well if he had just delivered the most beautiful thing in the world. 

_ God, _ he couldn't believe how much he loved that child. 

“So, Tony,” Mary starts, “you gotta give your baby a name.” 

“What?” Richard asks sarcastically, “You weren't gonna stick with Baby Boy Stark? Oh man, I thought that really rolled.” 

Tony chuckles, and he thinks about how it’s moments like this where he might be convinced that Richard doesn't totally hate him. Mary gives her fiance a playful smack. 

“No, I got some picked out,” Tony says, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. 

Tony had started a list of names a week after he agreed to keep the baby. He didn’t have as many ideas for if the baby was a girl -- he did really like the name Ava, though. Ava Stark had a really nice ring to it. 

His boy list had quite a few more; he thought about James, after his best friend. But Rhodey vetoed that idea as soon as he heard it. He said that only his parents called him that anymore and that hearing his nephew being called that would be slightly jarring. 

Tony contemplated Edwin, after the man who practically raised him, but he already had JARVIS, and the name Edwin _ did feel _ dated.

Finally, he found the name Peter in a baby name book Pepper had bought him after flipping through the pages one late night. Tony had instantly taken a liking to it; it felt young and playful, but mature and strong at the same time. 

He thought about when he was a kid and his mother would tell him the stories of Peter Pan. The boy who lived in a world of magic and pirates. The boy who never wished to grow up. 

The name instantly went to the top of his list. And right now, after holding his child and growing to know him, it was the only name that seemed to fit. 

“His name is Peter,” Tony says, his eyes distant. He refocuses his vision and looks to Mary and Richard as if in approval he didn’t need. “Peter Stark.” 

“It’s perfect,” Mary says with a sleepy smile. “A perfect name for a perfect boy.” 

\----

Tony makes his way towards the NICU soon after Mary had fallen asleep. Richard had let him go with nothing more than a smile, and Tony was itching to see Peter again. 

He feels nervous when faced with the door to the nursery, but with a shaky breath and the promise of seeing his son, he pushes through. 

The inside of the NICU was nice and quiet, which was a refreshing change of pace from the rest of the hospital outside these four walls. Rows of incubators fill the room, each one hooked up to heart monitors and respiratory machines. 

A few nurses walked the room, each one wearing a glowing smile while they tended to their work. Tony stood by the door for a couple of minutes before someone stepped into his field of vision. 

“Mr. Stark, hello.” 

Tony recognizes the woman as Allison, the nurse who showed him to Mary’s room a few hours before. There are circles under her eyes, but despite her obvious fatigue, she still smiles like nothing’s bothering her. 

“Allison,” Tony says, “I didn’t expect to see you here. Thought you had desk duty.” 

“One of the nurses called in sick. Just covering a shift. I didn’t think I'd see _you_ here, Mr. Stark.” 

Tony puts up a hand, “Please, call me, Tony.” 

She nods, “Okay, Tony, I’m gonna assume that your child is in here?” 

Tony nods, “Yeah, um… I guess he’s just marked under “Baby Stark”” 

Allison reaches for a clipboard sitting close by and scans the page till she reaches the bottom, then nods. “Of course, your son is over here.” 

She leads him towards the back of the room, until they are standing over an incubator housing Peter. Someone had put a yellow hat on his head that was obviously meant for a full-sized child, so on him, it dwarfed his head and made him look even cuter than he should be. 

_ Jesus, this should be illegal, _ Tony says to himself. _ How did he come from me? _

A tiny heart monitor was taped to the baby’s chest, and a tube was connected to one of Peter’s nostrils. Tony’s heart skipped a little when he saw it. 

“Is he okay?” He asked Allison, trying to keep his panic subsided. 

She just nods. “He’s fine. Perfectly healthy. That’s just there to help his breathing, but in about a week, he should be okay to go.” 

Tony lets out a sigh of relief. “Alright, thank you.” 

“I’ll leave you alone then,” Allison pulls a chair over so Tony can sit. She starts to walk, when Tony calls after her softly. 

“You can change his name.” 

She spins around and gives him a quizzical smile. “Huh?” 

“Where it says, Baby Stark, you can just replace the first part with Peter. That’s his name now.” 

“Sure. It’s a great name,” she says and turns back to continue on wherever she was going. Tony wondered if her cheeks ever hurt from smiling. 

Now that Peter was all cleaned off and dried, Tony could see the dark hair that covered the top of his head, and how it peeked out from behind the hem of his tiny hat. The hair looked incredibly soft to the touch; like the downy feathers of a duckling. 

Tony just sat and stared at his son as the baby dozed. Most of him still couldn’t believe that a child like this had come from him. From a man that was still convinced he was damaged goods. 

But Tony wondered how bad he could really be if he was gifted with a baby as amazing as Peter. 

“Hey, Bubba,” Tony says, the nickname escaping before he could hold it back. Something in him knew that he was going to be the type of parent to give their kids many different obscure nick-names. “Hey, baby.” 

There were spots on the side of the incubator for people to stick their hands through, and he knew that he was probably allowed, but a new fear blossomed. Last time he touched Peter, there had been a monstrous blanket providing a barrier between skin to skin contact. 

So instead, Tony opted for placing his hand on the mattress _ next _ to Peter. 

The inside of the incubator was nice and warm, and Peter’s itty-bitty arm raised up in his sleep to nuzzle his nose, small snuffling noises filling the air, and then he lowered his hand back to his side. 

Tony’s heart filled with love. He watched his baby breath; his tiny chest going up and down; breaths coming in and out. In and out. In and out… 

“Oh my God, Peter,” Tony whispers, despite none of the nurses paying them any mind. “You are so beautiful.” 

Tony can feel himself become misty-eyed once more. His chest clenches, but he knows he needs to keep talking. 

“I can’t believe how much I love you. I love you so much, and I’ve only known you for an hour.” 

A few tears roll down Tony’s cheeks, and he laughs wetly to himself. He keeps his one hand next to Peter, while his other wipes at his eyes shakily. 

“So much for me being heartless, huh, baby?” 

Tony laughs softly once more, but then his laughter falls short when his mind brings up Howard once more. 

“Petey,” Tony leans in closer because this is something he only wants his son to hear. “I promise that I will never act heartless to you, Bubba. I will always be there for you, no matter what. I will never give you anything less than love…” 

He wipes at a few more tears. 

“You are everything to me. I didn’t know it a few hours ago, but I know it now. You are perfect, Peter.” 

The softest of sobs catch him off guard, and he tries to smother in his palm. Peter shifts slightly, and the baby’s hand moves so his little clenched fist is now sitting on top of Tony’s finger. 

That was all it took for all of Tony’s emotions to break through that dam he had built up, and the tears poured freely. He tried to catch them at first, but they overpowered him, and it took all he had to keep the sobs down to a reasonable volume. 

His palm clamps over his mouth, and he watches Peter sleep, completely unaffected. 

“Tony?” 

Tony’s head whips to the side, and he sees Allison standing close by; her expression concerned. He also realizes that they are now the only two adults in the room. 

“Are you alright?” She asks. 

Tony nods. He was alright. He was more than alright. He hadn’t been this happy since… God, he can’t even remember when. He hadn’t been this happy since… _ forever. _

This child was his saving grace. 

“I’m okay,” he finally said, his voice quiet. The tears have slowed down. “I’m very happy.” 

Allison smiles in understanding. Without prompting, she grabs a chair of her own and sits down next to Tony. “You know,” she starts, “my son was a preemie as well. I was told that there were very slim chances of him making it post-delivery, and well… I was crushed. Before he was even born, I was head over heels in love with him. The thought of losing him was an idea worse than death.” 

Tony watches her with interest but makes no move to interrupt. Peter continued to make those sleepy, snuffly noises. 

“Um, so, when he was born almost five weeks early, I was certain I was gonna lose him. He was taken as soon as he was born, and it was _ hours _ before I was allowed to even meet him for the first time. They had to cover a lot of medical stuff that would take too long to explain. But when I did meet him, I realized how much of a _ fucking trooper _ my son was. He weighed three pounds and kinda looked like a raisin,” she chuckles to herself. Tony notices the mist in her eyes. “But was here, and he was surviving.” 

She was quiet for a minute before Tony says softly, “So did he?” 

“Did he what?” 

“Did he survive.” 

Allison gives a smile that would envy the sun. “Of course; I did tell you he’s a trooper, didn’t I?” 

Tony smiles himself and nods shortly. 

“He’s five now, and I get prouder of him every day. He’s so smart, and…” she trails off, grinning to herself as she obviously thinks about her son. “I better get back to work. You are very lucky, Tony. Your boy is doing great.” 

She starts to walk away, but Tony stops her. “What’s his name? Your son... what’s his name?” 

Allison pauses before saying, “Peter.” 

\----

Pepper finally lures Tony out of the NICU with a text promising a fresh cheeseburger and large coffee. Happy also has a new outfit for him, which Tony is starting to appreciate considering this shirt wasn’t that clean in the first place. 

“Thought you’d never leave,” Pepper says when Tony walks into the waiting room. 

“Oh, sorry for wanting to spend time with my son,” Tony retorts. 

“No, no, that’s fine. You’re just starting to smell a little rank, Tony. When was the last time you showered?” 

“Uh, yesterday.” Pepper raises an eyebrow in his direction, and he sighs. “Okay, a few days ago.” 

“Figures,” Pepper gestures to the seat beside her. There is a paper bag adorned with the _ Burger King _ logo, a tall travel cup of coffee, and a tote bag that must be holding his new change of clothes. “Happy brought some deodorant along as well.” 

Tony takes the bag and escapes into the waiting room washroom. He had expected something formal, but Happy must have been feeling funny, because Tony just finds a second pair of jeans waiting for him, along with a band tee-shirt for _Queen, _and an MIT hoodie. He made sure to apply extra deodorant. 

"Looking like a real dad, Tony," he mumbles as he changes. "A dad who still has yet to learn to dress his age. All courtesy of, Happy the Comic." 

The waiting room was empty when he returned, save for an older woman sitting in the far corner. Tony assumed a grandma-to-be waiting for the exciting news. The woman flips through a magazine, but he can tell that she’s not really reading it. 

“These are also for you,” Pepper says, handing him a paper file. She doesn't look up when he sits down. “Paperwork, for your baby. Parental rights, hospital forms, birth certificate… speaking of, does he have a name yet?” 

“Peter,” Tony says, opening the file. “Peter Stark.” 

“It’s lovely, but does he have a middle name?” 

Tony pauses. “Hmm, never really thought of that.” 

“What about Parker?” Pepper suggests. “A way to honor his mother, in some way or another.” 

Tony smiles. _ Peter Parker Stark. Peter Parker Stark. Peter Parker Stark. _

“It’s perfect,” Tony says, writing the full name down on the birth certificate before Pepper can change his mind. 

“Rhodey’s coming soon,” Pepper says, watching Tony’s hand as he scribbles down information. 

Tony pauses, looking up with excitement. “He is?” 

“Called me about half an hour ago. His plane just landed.” 

“I didn’t think he would be able to get off; especially on such short notice.” 

“I’m pretty sure he told them it was a family emergency.” 

At that moment, both of their attention was drawn when the double doors swing open and a tired-looking man walked into the waiting room. Despite the fatigue in his eyes, he seemed to beam. 

The older woman instantly stands from her seat and they rush to meet each other. 

“They’re both here?” The woman asks. 

“They’re both here,” the man confirms with a smile. 

The woman immediately bursts into tears, the man wrapping his arms around her tightly. He gives a wet laugh. They hold each other in the middle of the waiting room for a few long minutes, both of them crying happily. 

“Let’s go meet them,” the man finally says, pulling back. 

The woman nods. “Seventeen hours is quite a long time to keep a grandma waiting.” 

They start to walk out of the room, Tony’s eyes following them until the doors are swinging shut behind them. 

“How sweet,” Pepper says with a fond grin. 

“Tones?” Someone asks to Tony’s right, and he turns his head to see Rhodey standing close by, looking both confused and excited. 

“Platypus,” Tony gasps, jumping up from his seat and running up to his best friend. They meet in a hug, Rhodey holding him tight. 

“How much did I miss?” Rhodey asks. 

Tony laughs, “I’m a goddamn father.” 

“God,” Rhodey says, taking in a deep breath and letting it slowly. “What the hell happened?” 

“Honestly, I’m still trying to figure out what I ate for breakfast this morning,” Tony says. 

“That would be nothing,” Pepper says, suddenly beside them. 

“Hey, Pepper,” Rhodey greets. 

“Rhodey. I understand you’re an uncle now.” 

“I guess that also makes you an aunt.” 

Pepper shakes her head, laughing under her breath. “Don’t remind me. I’m still trying to sink into this whole situation.” 

“You seem to be doing a great job.” 

Tony watches his two closest friends converse, the idea that they are now his child’s aunt and uncle making him very happy. 

“So, are we gonna meet this kid, or not?” Rhodey asks, his gaze suddenly on Tony. 

“Come on,” Tony starts pushing them towards the doors. “And be prepared to meet the new light of your lives.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three chapters in three days... what miracle has lifted all writer's block from my shoulders? Loving writing this, and hoping to get the next chapter out soon, but school might slow me down, so I can't promise. 
> 
> All of these feels are killing me, though. Love these two.


	4. Chapter 4

“He’s small,” Rhodey says, leaning over the incubator. 

Tony bites back any sarcastic remark he might have about Peter being premature because his eyes are glued on his son as he sleeps and he feels preoccupied. Pepper stands next to him, her stance uncomfortable, but her eyes soft. Like she didn’t know exactly how to feel. 

“He’s gorgeous,” she finally says. Tony knew Pepper didn’t really think of herself as a  _ ‘kid person’ _ , but she might just come around with Peter now in her life. 

Tony hums in agreement. Peter shifts, making a small cooing noise that sounds as if he’s rousing himself. Tony sticks his hand in through the side of the incubator and touches his son’s hand softly. 

“Hey, Bubba,” he says, “I’m here.” 

Peter cooes once more and falls back into slumber. Tony hoped that the baby was finding some sort of comfort in his father being here with him. 

“I’m here.” 

\----

Tony spent the next few days traveling back and forth from the hospital to his penthouse downtown. Pepper came with him for the first day, but then worked called, and she decided just to stay at the apartment and let Tony go on his own. The hospital conditions weren't exactly the most accommodating when she had to take conference calls on Tony’s behalf. 

Rhodey only got so much time off, and he had to dismiss himself soon after arriving, but not before he promised both Tony and Peter that he would be visiting soon. 

Tony spent as much time as he could in the NICU, before going home simply to lay in bed and continue thinking about his son. He couldn’t wait to bring him home, so when that day finally came, Tony was practically bouncing off the walls.

“He’s doing great,” Allison says as she watches Tony cradle Peter in his arms. 

He had finally gotten the chance to dress him in proper clothing, and Peter was wearing a light blue bodysuit dotted in small, white clouds. On the baby’s head was his yellow hat and Tony had wrapped him up in a fluffy blanket that fit the child better than the monster-sized one he had been given a few days prior. 

“He definitely is,” Tony says, feeling pride bloom in his chest. 

“I’m gonna miss you two.” 

Tony smiles at her. “You’ll have us replaced in about a week.” 

Allison laughs, “Not likely. This is definitely a story to go in the books. Besides, Peter has loved hearing about your son. He thinks it’s amazing that they have the same name.” 

Tony chuckles. He has enjoyed hearing about her Peter as well. Her story had given him hope, and he hardly had any worry any more. It was hard to be anxious when Peter seemed to be proving all of his fears false. 

“I think I’ll miss you, too,” Tony says, “you have definitely made this whole thing easier.” 

“Oh, please. My honor.” 

Peter had to do something called the ‘car seat test’ before he could leave, which was basically where they just strapped him into his seat for about an hour and a half to see how he would take it. Tony watched him closely, but Peter stayed silent and perfectly healthy throughout the entire thing, and Tony smirked when it was all over. 

“You show off,” he says, running the back of his finger over his son’s cheek. 

Peter blinks up at him in response. His doe eyes shining. 

Happy has the car pulled up front by the time Tony, Pepper, and Peter are ready to leave, and it definitely takes a few minutes to figure out how the car seat clips in. Miraculously, Peter sleeps through the whole thing, despite all the jostling and bumping. 

Tony slips into the backseat next to his son, and Pepper climbs into the front. 

“Just go careful, Hap,” Tony says, leaning forward. 

Happy rolls his eyes. “Already dad-ing out, are we, Tony?” 

Tony’s eyes narrow, “I’m serious. Pepper, tell him.” 

Pepper raises a hand in defense. “Don’t drag me into this.” 

“Don’t worry,” Happy says, putting the car into drive. “I’ll be careful.” 

Peter is quite the entire ride out of the parking lot, but Tony does notice that he wakes up eventually. He seems groggy as he slowly rouses, but he doesn't make more than a low whimper. 

Tony places a hand on the baby’s foot to give reassurance, and he watches as his son's eyes roam the ceiling above them like the carpeted-roof was incredibly fascinating. 

It was not until they were pulling into the steady flow of traffic did Peter start to fuss. A low cry fills the car, and Tony can see Happy tense. 

Tony places a hand on his son’s stomach and starts the slow, rhythmic motions, hoping to calm him down, but it does little to help. He assumes that it’s maybe the constant stop and go traffic that is aggravating the baby.

“Hey, hey, hey, Petey,” Tony says softly, “Bub, don’t cry.” 

Peter only cried louder. Tony’s heart broke at the sound of his son’s whimpers, and he had to stop himself from undoing the seat belt and pulling Peter into his arms. 

“Baby,” Tony says, leaning in as close as he can. “Baby Boy, I’m here. It’s me. It’s Dad.” Tony pauses for a second, a part of him surprised how easily he just said those words, but the child’s sobbing pulls him from his stunned silence. “That’s me, I’m Dad.” 

Peter’s hand comes to rest on top of Tony’s, and a smile breaks out over the billionaire’s face. Peter’s crying slows down slightly, but he still fusses as the car jolts every few minutes. Tony continues the small circles over his stomach, but it showed no signs of working. 

In the front seat, Happy’s shoulders are stiff as he reaches a rigid hand out to fumble with the radio. He flips onto a station and turns the volume up to a comfortable level. 

Soft piano music suddenly fills the car, and the fist squeezing Tony’s heart loosens its grip as Peter’s cries dwindle into a sparse hiccup. 

“You like that, Bubba?” Tony asks, hopefully. Peter just stares up at him with watery, wide eyes. “Yeah, I like Billy Joel, too.” 

The first verse of “Vienna” started, and Tony let himself sit back in his seat as Peter stopped crying and started listening to the music. When Peter’s eyes dropped closed and his breathing evened out, Tony grinned. 

“He’s out,” he whispered to the front of the car. 

“Thank lord,” Happy says, exasperated. 

Pepper snorts. Tony rolls his eyes. 

“Get used to it, Hap. We only have him for the rest of our lives.” 

\----

When Tony first agreed to keep the baby, he was nervous about having to spend time with them alone. He was afraid that he was going to mess up somehow; change the diaper wrong, make the bottle too hot, not be able to get them to sleep… you name it, and he was worried about it. 

But now, standing in the living room of his penthouse -- Peter’s car seat in one hand and his bag in the other -- Tony wanted nothing more than to be alone with his son. 

“You sure you’re okay?” Pepper asks for the fourth time. Her toe tapped nervously against the tile. 

Tony smiled. “Yes, Pep. Like I said in the elevator, I’m fine.”

She bit her bottom lip, her eyes running around the house, and then she sighs. “Alright. You know where to find me if it’s not okay.” 

“Of course I do.” 

“Okay.” 

“Okay.” 

Pepper doesn't move. 

Tony sighs, puts down Peter (still sleeping in his car seat) and his bag and walks over to the woman. “Pepper. Seriously. I’m great. Trust me.” 

It takes a second, but she finally nods. “Okay, alright. Fine. I trust you.” 

“Awesome.” 

She nods and turns, walking towards the door, and then out of the room. Tony looks back to see Peter now awake and staring up at his father from the car seat, curiously. It was funny to Tony how the seat made him so aware of how small his son is. Peter didn’t look real from where he blinked up at the man. 

“It’s just you and me, now, Petey.” Tony walks over and unbuckled his son, pulling the baby into his arms. “What are we ever gonna do?” 

Peter yawns, and it’s so cute, Tony wished someone had taken a picture of it. The way his button nose squishes up, and his doe eyes crinkle. 

“A nap. Sounds perfect,” Tony starts walking towards Peter’s nursery. “You, Bub, have the best ideas.” 

\----

Peter fell asleep pretty easily, which Tony was over the moon about. The child was out almost as soon as Tony had placed him in his crib. 

_ I gotta tell Pep she did an amazing job decorating this place,  _ he thinks as he looks around the nursery. 

Everything was perfect. The matching creme furniture; the light red and blue blankets and pillows. The rocking chair in the corner. The bookshelf was stocked. The mobile over the crib spun with clouds and stars. Tony especially thought the night light shaped like the moon was a nice touch. 

He wondered how he would ever get it to look this neat and clean ever again. 

With a baby monitor in hand, he crept out of the room and snuck into the living room. His plan was to turn on the television and just wait until Peter woke so he could feed him, but that plan was over before it even began, as Tony conked out as soon as he was properly seated on the couch. 

He was woken up to the sound of crying, and as soon as he registered it as Peter, he was leaping to his feet. By the time he reached Peter’s room, the cries were loud enough that he could hear them outside the closed door. 

Tony walked in and made a beeline to his sobbing son. 

“Hey, Bub,” he says, scooping Peter up. He hoped that he would stop crying as soon as he had him in his arms, but of course, babies were not that easy. 

Peter continued his crying, and Tony bounced him gently, shushing as he cradled the baby closer. “Please, Pete, I’m right here for you. You don’t need to cry, Baby.” 

Tony walked to the kitchen, Peter sobbing on his shoulder. By the time they reached the pantry, Peter was gumming on Tony’s shirt. 

“Pete,” Tony said with a slight smile, “I’m sure formula is gonna taste a whole lot better than cotton.” 

It takes a few minutes to figure out how to make a bottle one-handed, but once he did, it was easy to warm it up and get Peter ready. The baby accepted the bottle instantly, drinking quickly. 

“Not to fast, Petey. You’re gonna get a stomach ache.” 

Peter looked up at Tony with his beautiful brown eyes, and soon enough, he was done. Tony burped him quickly, then they moved over to the couch. 

“So, what do we do next?” Tony asked, staring down at Peter who was nestled in his arms. This time, Peter didn’t give him any ideas. 

Tony reached over and ran his hand under the baby’s head; his feather-light hair softer than silk against his calloused fingers. Peter cooed slightly; a sound of comfort Tony was already falling in love with. 

“Yep,” Tony says with a small smile. His heart pulled. “You’re definitely the new love of my life.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vienna is my Dad and I's song, so I thought it would be appropriate to make it a song that Tony and Peter would grow to love.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this is incredibly short but sweet.

Tony wished that getting a baby to sleep would be easier than he was told. Maybe Peter was different… maybe he had a magic baby. 

That idea was definitely proven wrong as Tony cradled Peter close to his chest as the baby sobbed, and the clock was nearing three a.m. 

“Please, please, please, Petey,” Tony bounced his son with tired arms. “You don’t need to cry. I’m here.  _ Please,  _ I’m afraid you’re gonna tear your vocal cords.” 

Peter ignored his father and continued to cry. Tony paced the nursery, his feet feeling like lead, and his eyes burning because Tony wouldn’t let himself close them for too long. He didn’t need himself falling asleep while holding a baby smaller than his forearm. 

“What do you need, Bubba?” Tony asks for the hundredth time. “I fed you. You’re clean… if only you could talk.” 

This was the first moment since bringing Peter home did Tony wish that he had a second set of hands. If only he could hand the baby off and slip away to get some sleep… 

_ No,  _ he thinks, his brows furrowed at his own thoughts.  _ You said you would do this, and you will. Besides, the lack of sleep has never stopped you before.  _

“JARVIS?” Tony asked, looking up at the ceiling. The AI he had installed here was nothing more than a prototype, but it still worked well enough to give proper information. “Can I ask for your help here, buddy?” 

“Certainly, Sir.” 

“Awesome. I need to know another reason why Peter may still be crying.” 

JARVIS is silent for a second before responding with, “The most common response I am getting other than needing to be fed or changed is simply that the child misses the parent.” 

Tony looks down at his son, puzzled, and then looks back to the ceiling. “How could he miss me? I’m right here.” 

“Peter is still very young,” JARVIS informs. “Infants of his age would not be able to see anything more than motion and light. I suggest talking to him more, to let him know you are there. The more he listens to you, the more he will associate your voice with comfort.” 

Tony watches his son as the child continues to sob, pearly tears running down his face. Tony’s heart practically shattered. Peter may be crying simply because he missed Tony, yet he didn’t even notice that Tony was the one holding him. 

“What to talk about…” Tony mutters to himself. He sighs, adjusting his hold on the crying bundle and moves to the rocking chair. “Alright, here goes nothing. Hey Peter, it’s me, your dad. Um, I don’t really remember a whole lot of my childhood. It’s kinda blurry, but I guess that makes a whole lot of sense… I wish your Grandma was still here. She would’ve loved you. Maybe more than me…” Tony laughs to himself, “Actually no. That’s not possible. I love you more than anyone ever could.” 

Peter’s screaming turns into general fussing now, a cry that was louder than the others occasionally ringing out. 

“My Dad wasn’t always there for me when I was little. He wouldn’t have even been there to talk to me at three in the morning like I’m doing now. But I did have someone else to take his place. My friend, Jarvis. He always loved me, and I loved him so much. But, like Grandma, he had to leave, and it’s not fair, but… well, Pete, it’s life.” 

Peter replaces his crying with slow whimpers. 

“I’m sorry that I don’t have an actual story to tell you, but I guess that’s more interesting than nothing. I promise I’ll have something better for you next time.” 

Tony reaches up and wipes a few tears away from the baby’s cheek. Peter coos at the contact. Tony smiles. 

“I thought it was lovely, Sir,” JARVIS whispers, causing Tony to chuckle lightly. 

“Thanks, Jar.” 

Tony could see that Peter was starting to drift back to sleep; his eyelids halfway closed. Tony continued to rock back and forth softly, and he decided to help ease his son into unconsciousness. 

_ “Baby mine, don’t you cry. Baby mine, dry your eyes. Rest your head close to my heart, never to part, baby of mine…”  _ Peter’s eyes finally slipped shut.  _ “Never to part… baby of mine.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, you may have noticed that this is the end of this fic. BUT, good thing I made this part of a series! 
> 
> You can subscribe or bookmark this series if you want to see future Dad Tony and Peter.  
I definitely have more plans for future stuff. More baby moments, but also through Peter's childhood, and really big moments between the family when particular events happen in Tony's future. 
> 
> I loved writing this, but I wanted it to have a natural conclusion instead of feeling strung out. 
> 
> Thank you for the support, and there will 100% be more!

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos make my day, while comments and bookmarks make my week!


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